Neat Trick -- Inflation's Chilling Effect on Bar Tabs

Buck surcharge for a drink without ice makes your head spin.

EXCESS LIQUIDITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN at the root of inflation. You don't have to be a disciple of Milton Friedman to believe that. The evidence of that economic verity may have stared you right in the face, though it may have eluded your notice. That's because it was buried on your bar tab, which, after a few rounds, you may not have scrutinized too closely. But it was inescapable nonetheless.

The proof, as it were, is in the new trend of adding an extra dollar to the price of a cocktail served without ice. The justification,...